Introduction: Outdoor cannabis cultivation presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities, where nature's cues play a crucial role in determining optimal planting and harvesting times. This article delves into the significance of annual daylight hours and rainfall patterns in calculating the ideal timelines for outdoor cannabis cultivation.
Understanding the Dynamics: The relationship between environmental factors and cannabis cultivation is complex, and outdoor plants rely heavily on the natural rhythm of the environment. Here, we'll break down the core principles and how they can be practically applied:
Impact of Non-Equatorial Zones: Beyond the equatorial belt, regions located more than 20 degrees north and south of the equator experience substantial fluctuations in daylight hours throughout the year. For cannabis plants in such areas, flowering typically begins as the days get shorter and humidity levels drop signaling to the plant winter is coming and it's time to reproduce next year's offspring. These areas encounter more pronounced differences between the longest and shortest days of the year. Plants timed correctly grown in these regions can become enormous. These same Strains grown in an equatorial climate will have varying maturation times depending on that region's rainfall, and light hours, and average hours of sunshine but the general rule of thumb for non-equatorial strains is they will flower once sexually mature usually 8 weeks while some strains will initiate flowering as early as 3-4 weeks, these strains are usually termed to have semi-auto-flowering tendencies. Where true auto-flowers are varieties from areas that have longer days and initiate flowering after reaching sexual maturity, disregarding daylight hours.
Strain Selection for Non-Equatorial Conditions: Strains native to true equatorial zones, characterized by longer flowering times, might not thrive in regions with significant daylight hour variations. Attempting to cultivate these strains in areas with varying day lengths can lead to suboptimal outcomes. Look for a photoperiod variety that's flowering time finishes before the first frost. most of the modern hybrid strains turn into huge plants in these regions, If the grower is after stronger plants in reference to climate and environment. They are advised to look into landraces, while the grower more concerned with pure potency and bag appeal should consider growing more modern hybrid strains.
Strain Selection for Equatorial Conditions: Look for an equatorial strain with a flowering time that matches your regions rainy seasons, so you can maximize yield using the rains, and finish your crop in the dry season. Look for strains whose bud structure can withstand the environment and temperatures present. Typically, equatorial strains are less dense, and have more ventilation than their non-equatorial counterparts.
Natural Cues for Growth Phases: Cannabis strains from non-equatorial regions base their vegetative and flowering stages on the interaction between changing daylight hours and rainfall patterns. These cues guide the plant's growth trajectory and timing. While cannabis strains from equatorial regions get their cues from the slight changes in daylight but more so the amount of rainfall, and light intensity. As the climate becomes dryer and the days become brighter, and slightly shorter signals the plant it's time to start its reproductive phase.
Harnessing Hybrid Strains: Introducing hybrid strains by crossing equatorial and non-equatorial varieties creates hybrids with adaptable vegetative timelines. These hybrids can perform well in diverse environmental conditions.
Trying to grow temperate strains that have acclimated to cold dry conditions and changing daylight hours in a wet humid and hot equatorial environment with little change in light hours will have suboptimal outcomes.
Practical Application: Let's delve into practical scenarios that demonstrate how the knowledge of annual daylight hours and rainfall can be used to optimize outdoor cannabis cultivation:
East Africa: East Africa boasts a five-month window for growth during the short rainy season. To capitalize on this, optimal sowing should occur in April, leading to a harvest in August.
Monsoon Regions like S. India and S/E. Asia: In areas marked by a five-month monsoon season followed by a short cold/wind spell (2 months) and then three-month dry spell, with the other two months representing the transitional months from and to rainy season. In these environments some cannabis strains require an extended period of up to 7 months to fully mature. Maximizing the rains ensures a bountiful harvest.
Central America: Central America features 5-month rainy season similar to S. India, and S/E Asia in parts of its tropical jungles. The ideal outdoor strain for this region should exhibit both equatorial vegetative and flowering timelines. Conversely, hybridized outdoor strains, usually take around 8 weeks to reach maturity before they transition to their flowering phase, and should be planted in September for a late January harvest. While NLD equatorial Sativa's with extended grow times should be planted in July/August and Harvested around January.
The ideal equatorial cannabis strain for my region would be sown in the light rains of late April and harvested in the at the end of January to prevent reflowering, maximizing the rainy and dry season and change of daylight hours and increase in light intensity* Though at this current time I'm unfamiliar with the existence of such a strain, one containing a 9-month growth cycle in an equatorial climate.
Analyzing the data: To visually connect the dots between daylight hours, rainfall, and harvest times, let's analyze the chosen location from Central America:
Conclusion: As you can see each variety initiates flowering differently depending on its region of origin. Based on the information from various strains we can clearly see how Equitorial strains evolved to harness the rainy and dry seasons, picking up on lower humidity levels, and brighter days and colder night. Strains closer to 20-40 degrees North and South have significant change in daylight hours these strains have evolved to pick up on the shortening of the days, also referred to as photoperiods which signals to the plant winter is coming and it's time to finish flowering before the harsh winters, *Almost all indoor non-auto flowering strains are photoperiods trained on an 18/6-Veg and 12/12-Flr Cycles*. Then we have the auto flowering plants from places like Siberia, and Russia where the Days are Long and the nights are short in growing season, these plants have adapted to these climates to flower automatically regardless of light cycle. As we can see the cannabis plant can thrive in a variety of climates and has evolved to flourish in its climate of origin. Knowing this can help us determine which outdoor varieties best suit the needs for your specific growing region and predict ideal sowing and harvest dates. - Verdant Whisperer
Understanding the Dynamics: The relationship between environmental factors and cannabis cultivation is complex, and outdoor plants rely heavily on the natural rhythm of the environment. Here, we'll break down the core principles and how they can be practically applied:
Impact of Non-Equatorial Zones: Beyond the equatorial belt, regions located more than 20 degrees north and south of the equator experience substantial fluctuations in daylight hours throughout the year. For cannabis plants in such areas, flowering typically begins as the days get shorter and humidity levels drop signaling to the plant winter is coming and it's time to reproduce next year's offspring. These areas encounter more pronounced differences between the longest and shortest days of the year. Plants timed correctly grown in these regions can become enormous. These same Strains grown in an equatorial climate will have varying maturation times depending on that region's rainfall, and light hours, and average hours of sunshine but the general rule of thumb for non-equatorial strains is they will flower once sexually mature usually 8 weeks while some strains will initiate flowering as early as 3-4 weeks, these strains are usually termed to have semi-auto-flowering tendencies. Where true auto-flowers are varieties from areas that have longer days and initiate flowering after reaching sexual maturity, disregarding daylight hours.
Strain Selection for Non-Equatorial Conditions: Strains native to true equatorial zones, characterized by longer flowering times, might not thrive in regions with significant daylight hour variations. Attempting to cultivate these strains in areas with varying day lengths can lead to suboptimal outcomes. Look for a photoperiod variety that's flowering time finishes before the first frost. most of the modern hybrid strains turn into huge plants in these regions, If the grower is after stronger plants in reference to climate and environment. They are advised to look into landraces, while the grower more concerned with pure potency and bag appeal should consider growing more modern hybrid strains.
Strain Selection for Equatorial Conditions: Look for an equatorial strain with a flowering time that matches your regions rainy seasons, so you can maximize yield using the rains, and finish your crop in the dry season. Look for strains whose bud structure can withstand the environment and temperatures present. Typically, equatorial strains are less dense, and have more ventilation than their non-equatorial counterparts.
Natural Cues for Growth Phases: Cannabis strains from non-equatorial regions base their vegetative and flowering stages on the interaction between changing daylight hours and rainfall patterns. These cues guide the plant's growth trajectory and timing. While cannabis strains from equatorial regions get their cues from the slight changes in daylight but more so the amount of rainfall, and light intensity. As the climate becomes dryer and the days become brighter, and slightly shorter signals the plant it's time to start its reproductive phase.
Harnessing Hybrid Strains: Introducing hybrid strains by crossing equatorial and non-equatorial varieties creates hybrids with adaptable vegetative timelines. These hybrids can perform well in diverse environmental conditions.
Trying to grow temperate strains that have acclimated to cold dry conditions and changing daylight hours in a wet humid and hot equatorial environment with little change in light hours will have suboptimal outcomes.
Practical Application: Let's delve into practical scenarios that demonstrate how the knowledge of annual daylight hours and rainfall can be used to optimize outdoor cannabis cultivation:
East Africa: East Africa boasts a five-month window for growth during the short rainy season. To capitalize on this, optimal sowing should occur in April, leading to a harvest in August.
Monsoon Regions like S. India and S/E. Asia: In areas marked by a five-month monsoon season followed by a short cold/wind spell (2 months) and then three-month dry spell, with the other two months representing the transitional months from and to rainy season. In these environments some cannabis strains require an extended period of up to 7 months to fully mature. Maximizing the rains ensures a bountiful harvest.
Central America: Central America features 5-month rainy season similar to S. India, and S/E Asia in parts of its tropical jungles. The ideal outdoor strain for this region should exhibit both equatorial vegetative and flowering timelines. Conversely, hybridized outdoor strains, usually take around 8 weeks to reach maturity before they transition to their flowering phase, and should be planted in September for a late January harvest. While NLD equatorial Sativa's with extended grow times should be planted in July/August and Harvested around January.
The ideal equatorial cannabis strain for my region would be sown in the light rains of late April and harvested in the at the end of January to prevent reflowering, maximizing the rainy and dry season and change of daylight hours and increase in light intensity* Though at this current time I'm unfamiliar with the existence of such a strain, one containing a 9-month growth cycle in an equatorial climate.
Analyzing the data: To visually connect the dots between daylight hours, rainfall, and harvest times, let's analyze the chosen location from Central America:
- Daylight Hours Throughout the Year:
- January: Around 11 hours 45 minutes of daylight (-15 minutes)
- February: Around 11 hours 57 minutes of daylight (+12 minutes)
- March: Around 12 hours 0 minutes of daylight (+3 minutes)
- April: Around 12 hours 0 minutes of daylight (+0 minutes)
- May: Around 12 hours 0 minutes of daylight (+0 minutes)
- June: Around 12 hours 1 minute of daylight (+1 minute)
- July: Around 12 hours 1 minute of daylight (+0 minutes)
- August: Around 12 hours 1 minute of daylight (+0 minutes)
- September: Around 12 hours 0 minutes of daylight (-1 minute)
- October: Around 11 hours 55 minutes of daylight (-5 minutes)
- November: Around 11 hours 48 minutes of daylight (-7 minutes)
- December: Around 11 hours 43 minutes of daylight (-5 minutes)
- Average Temperatures and Rainfall:
- January: Avg Temp 22°C (71°F), Rainfall 10mm, 5 days
- February: Avg Temp 24°C (74°F), Rainfall 10mm, 3 days
- March: Avg Temp 24°C (75°F), Rainfall 10mm, 4 days
- April: Avg Temp 25°C (76°F), Rainfall 60mm, 10 days
- May: Avg Temp 24°C (74°F), Rainfall 140mm, 23 days
- June: Avg Temp 23°C (73°F), Rainfall 170mm, 24 days
- July: Avg Temp 23°C (73°F), Rainfall 180mm, 22 days
- August: Avg Temp 23°C (73°F), Rainfall 190mm, 24 days
- September: Avg Temp 23°C (73°F), Rainfall 240mm, 27 days
- October: Avg Temp 22°C (71°F), Rainfall 220mm, 27 days
- November: Avg Temp 22°C (72°F), Rainfall 160mm, 19 days
- December: Avg Temp 22°C (72°F), Rainfall 50mm, 10 days
Last edited:
